Sleep deprivation can leave you exhausted, stressed and can contribute to health problems. And when youâre a parent, you lose sleep. During that first year of infancies, parents can lose hundreds of hours of sleep. Each family might handle the division of night time tending to an infant differently and fathers are also often sleep deprived. Fatigue, exhaustion and sleep problems are common for working women. Returning to work with young babies who are still waking multiple times at night, early mornings and late nights all contribute to sleep deprivation. The fatigue can lead to problems functioning while awake, stress and other health problems.
Strategies to Improve Sleep
⢠Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. When you have an infant waking at night, your body wants to sleep when you need to be awake. Sleep as well as possible when you can. Try to stay ahead of sleep interruptions and fatigue by keeping a regular sleeping and waking time.
⢠Make sleep a top priority. Cut back on evening phone calls, checking email before bed, late night reading or television watching.
⢠Schedule a relaxing nighttime transition to sleep. For example, take a bath, read, listen to music.
⢠Avoid caffeine late in the day to avoid being exhausted but unable to fall asleep at night.
⢠Protect sleep time and nap when possible. If you feel tired enough to sleep, take a nap even if you feel you should be folding laundry or want to catch a favorite TV show.
⢠Think of sleep with your partner as âshared.â Donât sacrifice your share of the sleep. Ask for support, work out a schedule and take turns with organizing, putting kids to bed, getting kids ready for school and other activities that keep you from being able to get to bed on time, get a few extra minutes in the morning or take a nap.
Strategies to Improve Sleep
⢠Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. When you have an infant waking at night, your body wants to sleep when you need to be awake. Sleep as well as possible when you can. Try to stay ahead of sleep interruptions and fatigue by keeping a regular sleeping and waking time.
⢠Make sleep a top priority. Cut back on evening phone calls, checking email before bed, late night reading or television watching.
⢠Schedule a relaxing nighttime transition to sleep. For example, take a bath, read, listen to music.
⢠Avoid caffeine late in the day to avoid being exhausted but unable to fall asleep at night.
⢠Protect sleep time and nap when possible. If you feel tired enough to sleep, take a nap even if you feel you should be folding laundry or want to catch a favorite TV show.
⢠Think of sleep with your partner as âshared.â Donât sacrifice your share of the sleep. Ask for support, work out a schedule and take turns with organizing, putting kids to bed, getting kids ready for school and other activities that keep you from being able to get to bed on time, get a few extra minutes in the morning or take a nap.